Educational Outreach

Inspiring a new generation

A key aim of Freedom City 2017 was to bring Dr King’s legacy to life for a new generation, to empower them to contribute towards tackling the great problems of war, poverty and racism.

The educational programme included: the creation of a cross curriculum educational resources pack designed to help students explore the legacy of Dr King, a comic anthology telling the stories of civil rights in the North East and a series of workshops. Freedom City 2017 inspired local schools and educational trusts to design and deliver their own education programmes based on Dr King’s visit.

Teachers’ Toolkit

Aset of teaching resourcesaimed at students aged 7-16 has been developed as part of Freedom City 2017, to help teachers and students explore the legacy of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. The materials include lesson plans, hand-outs, worksheets, music recordings and presentation slides covering a wide range of subjects.

Ouseburn Learning Trust

The Ouseburn Learning Trust, a group of seven primary schools and one secondary schools in the east of Newcastle, developed MLK-Tyneside-Fifty, a bespoke package of activities that challenge and stimulate thinking about Dr King’s legacy and impact.

Freedom City 2017 Comics

Teesdale School

Students at Teesdale School created music and art inspired by Dr King and presented this in a special event on 10 November 2018. This exhibition included a giant collage portrait of Dr King, contributed to by students from Teesdale School and others across the North East Learning Trust.

One of Teesdale’s own Year 12 students, Nina Holguin, has a particular connection with King’s visit. As her grandmother, Carolyn Robson, met King as one of the small group of students before the degree ceremony itself. Mrs Robson was interviewed for a short documentary made by local film maker and ex-Teesdale student, Oliver Smith.